


And Now, We Walk

by Psychodaelic



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Bittersweet, Consort Harry Potter, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, Inspired by the Notebook, M/M, Mentioned Hermione Granger, Mentioned Lucius Malfoy, Mentioned Luna Lovegood - Freeform, Psychology of the Magical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychodaelic/pseuds/Psychodaelic
Summary: No one interrupted the Dark Lord on weekends. For years, people seemed to forget why, but to tell you the truth, said reason would forget about it too. The Lord would start his morning rituals as if he would start another day, but instead of walking to his office, he would walk to a room adjacent to his own.---“But who are you to me, then? Why were we sitting together?” Harry asked.Voldemort looked into the curious glance behind a pair of glasses, “We’re supposed to walk around this morning, we were just taking a rest by sitting on the bench when Scorpius came.”Frowning, Harry walked in front of Voldemort before he turned, “Really? I don’t remember.”“It is okay sometimes. Not remembering things, that is.”
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter/Voldemort
Comments: 23
Kudos: 155





	And Now, We Walk

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter franchise, characters, or general storyline. I watched The Notebook and listened to 'A Book In Memory' and decided to write this story.
> 
> Centered-italic: flashback  
> Underline: Parseltongue

As if it were another day, he would wake up precisely at 6 in the morning. He would open his curtain, change his sleeping robe to a set of semi-formal attire, and groom himself as he would on his workday. Never changing, such was the routine of His Darkness, Lord Voldemort on the morning of his weekends.

His bedroom was sparse of personal touch, leave for a vase of wilting blue irises. Voldemort reach for the withered flowers and transfigured them to a small green orb. Satisfied with his wandless magic’s result, he then pocketed the orb and walked out of his room.

Should it be Monday, his legs would bring him to his study where he would floo to his office in The Ministry. Saturday, though, was the day that made him walked to a room adjacent to his own instead. He raised his hand to knock on the mahogany door thrice and waited. The door opened to show him a familiar face of a woman with tight hairdo and healer robes.

“My lord.”

He nodded, “Rose.”

Rose Granger-Weasley straightened her back after bowing and smiled, “It is a good day, it seems, the sun will help.”

“As it shall,” Voldemort entered the room as Rose stepped aside. Contrast to the bareness of his bedroom, this room was colorful and filled with personal belonging of its owner. The soft green with a touch of golden lining wallpaper surrounded the room, the bed was just made by the ever-diligent house elf, and the bookshelves was filled with not only with books but also trinkets. On the bedside table, a bowl of forget-me-nots was placed, though it was withered like the irises. With wandless magic, Voldemort also transfigured the flowers to an orb and flew it to his pocket.

By the window was the room’s resident, standing and looking outside it to the view of a blooming garden. The figure was of a man looking in his 20s, hair as dark and untamed as the day they first met. Slowly but surely, Voldemort stepped closer to him, Rose by his side.

Rose cleared her throat, “Harry, Dear, why don’t we get you a breakfast with Tom here and then you can both walk in the garden for today? You love to see the flowers, don’t you?”

‘Harry’ turned around and Voldemort’s eyes were filled with a shine of brilliant green. “I do? I mean, of course! Is this Tom? Nice to meet you,” He held out his hand.

Voldemort smiled and offered his to shake, “Hello, Harry, nice to meet you too.”

* * *

_“With all due respect, Voldemort, I don’t think you understand the severity of his condition. Even with their advanced technology, muggle couldn’t withhold the natural aging process, let alone us with our research limitation of magical one.”_

_“Respect accepted, Granger, you’d best remember that our power lies in the mightiness of magic and thus nothing that we, that_ I _cannot achieve.”_

_“But what if that happens long after it was irreversible? What then? Would he no longer be beneficial to your cause and vision with his flaw?”_

_“It was none of your concern as I take great care of those I own. Rest assured that your dear friend was placed in the most capable hands of the whole Wizarding Britain.”_

_“I hope you will hold onto that promise.”_

_“Don’t hope, Granger._

_“Believe.”_

* * *

The small dining room table was filled with light meal, a vase of yellow zinnia and rosemary adorned it. Voldemort helped himself to a cup of golden ginkgo tea and poured another for Harry.

“Thank you,” the man shyly accepted the cup and sipped it, “It’s good, I’ve never tasted anything like this before!”

The smile was back on his lip as Voldemort downed his own cup of tea, “I’ll remember to make us another pot of this later today and tomorrow, then.”

Their breakfast was a time of serenity. Harry quietly ate his portion of smoothies and grains, while Voldemort only had a bowl of picked fruits. Not for long though, “Why are you setting aside your pumpkin seeds, Harry?”

Scrunching up his nose for a second, Harry then looked a bit bashful as he said, “I don’t really enjoy it, sorry…”

“No worries, perhaps you’d like to switch with mine instead? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all.” The grateful look was all it took for Voldemort to hand his half-finished bowl.

When they’re both finished with their meal, Harry fidgeted in his seat, “Now what?”

Voldemort raised from his seat and offered his hand to Harry, “And now, we walk.”

* * *

_“This garden is only further convincing me how I love magic! It doesn’t look like we’re in the middle of October at all!”_

_“For you, my Dearest, magic will_ never _have any limitation.”_

* * *

The manor was only befitting of a figure as important as the Dark Lord, its garden vast and full of blooming flowers of magical and mundane varieties. There was a small lake in another side with water lilies and lotuses, and a white bench and a pair or chairs near it. The June’s wind was soft and inviting, while the sun warmed them up. Voldemort and Harry walked side by side.

“Have I visited this place in the past? Oh, but I wouldn't ever forget a place as beautiful as this!” Harry reached to stroke the petal of a blossoming white lily. Voldemort standing close to him.

“Masster! And hiss sspeaker too! You don’t give me good scratches these days!”

The jolt of his companion brought a smirk to his face before Voldemort smarted his expression again. Nagini was most probably enjoying the warmth brought by the sun and couldn’t resist to slither near her master. Although it now brought another issue on hand…

“T-Tom, did the snake just talk?”

“Yess, Harry, you could talk to her too,” Voldemort hissed low and slow, observing every reaction that Harry made. He was satisfied enough to note no sign of discomfort on Harry’s person.

“I do? Oh! Yess, apparently, I do sspeak ssnake!” The laugh was as light as the wind, but it’s still a joyful sound to Voldemort’s ears.

Nagini didn’t enjoy being left out of their conversation, “Sspeaker! Now that you’re here, you will scratch me!” Naturally, Harry responded by crouching down and looked at Voldemort expectantly.

Voldemort nodded, “She will not harm you, and you will not harm her either.”

With it, Harry succumbed to Nagini’s demand and for a while the three of them stayed in the same spot. “Sspeaker really know me best, know all the best scratches too,” commented the great snake.

“I’m not sure, I just know it, I guess? But how can I know something I never done before?” 

Voldemort helped Harry on his feet before leading them to the garden’s bench, Nagini slithering near their steps before mentioning a hunt and went on her probably-not-so-merry way. “Sometimes, we move not by knowledge but rather by our innate functioning.”

Harry frowned, “So you say it was instinct?”

“That is a probability, yes.”

Barely a minute passed when a figure walked up to them. The figure had a blond hair that’s styled to perfection, just as his entire attire. When he realized who was it sitting next of his Lord, the man smiled, and it made his appearance rather young. He bowed to Voldemort and offered Harry a nod, which was returned albeit with a bit of hesitance.

“My Lord, I have come back from my latest mission and with your guidance, we have reached successful bargain with Wizarding Japan.”

Voldemort acknowledged the claim, “You have my thanks, Scorpius Malfoy. If you’d please sit with us on this nice morning.” Scorpius thanked his Lord and sat on a chair near him and Harry.

Clearing his throat, Voldemort gestured to Scorpius, “Harry, this is Scorpius, a subordinate of mine. Scorpius, this is Harry Potter.”

Harry smiled as he offered his hand, “Hi, how do you do?”

“How do you do,” Scorpius returned his sentiment and shook their hand, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Harry.”

Blushing, Harry flailed his hands, “Please just call me Harry! None of that Mister thing! Looks like you’re even older than me!”

Now it’s Scorpius turn to blush, “W-well, if you insist, Harry.”

Time passed awkwardly between them, or more specifically between Harry and Scorpius. Again, Harry fidgeted in his seat, “Is, uh, would it be better if I leave here?”

“Nonsense, Harry, you’re most welcomed to sit here,” Voldemort said easily as Harry smiled.

But the smile was slowly gone as his expression blanked, and the next thing that happened was Harry asking, “Hello, do I know you both?”

* * *

_“You didn’t just assume that, or was it a false thing I’m hearing, Lucius?”_

_“Forgive my impertinence, My Lord, I’m merely expressing my concern and– “_

_“Crucio!”_

_“Tom! Stop it!”_

_“Your concern is not needed, Lucius, I will not place a consort of mine in the Janus-Thickey ward or Magical Bugs ward. We will have everything we need inside this manor.”_

_“Tom, we’ve talked about this – “_

_“No, Harry, this is non-negotiable. As of now we barely know anything of your condition and so placing you in St. Mungo is impractical at best.”_

_“So, I’ll have to subject myself to your care? No offense, Tom, you did a shit job when I only had common flu last month.”_

_“The Granger-Weasley girl will be finishing her mind-healing apprenticeship next year, she will do.”_

_“And where will you be when she is here?”_

_“Darling, don’t you ever assume that I will abandon you to a mere malady. You’re precious to me and you know it.”_

_“I will be a liability to you.”_

_“You’re never a weakness, Love, you are my strength.”_

* * *

“So, you’re Tom? And I suppose Harry is my name, then?” Harry walked beside the flower bed. Scorpius was long since taking his leave to meet his own wife and child. After a confusing round of re-introduction, Harry looked comfortable enough to be with Voldemort again and continued their walk around the garden.

“But who are you to me, then? Why were we sitting together?” Harry asked.

Voldemort looked into the curious glance behind a pair of glasses, “We’re supposed to walk around this morning, we were just taking a rest by sitting on the bench when Scorpius came.”

Frowning, Harry walked in front of Voldemort before he turned, “Really? I don’t remember.”

“It is okay sometimes. Not remembering things, that is.”

They were now standing near the small lake. The reflection on its surface was so clear it looked like a mirror to the sky above them. Voldemort reached for his pocket before pulling out a pair of green orbs. He offered both to the young-looking man in front of him.

Rising his eyebrow, Harry reach for one of those orbs, “What for?”

“You found that this kind of orb is best for stone-skipping in the lake,” explained Voldemort.

“Me? Not you?”

“I didn’t realize it until you showed me.”

Harry smiled a bit, “Looks like we really know each other then.”

“We do.”

As a proof, Harry was indeed able to use the orb as a great skipping stone. When Voldemort offered his piece, though, Harry declined. “Keep it,” he said, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll ask for it, maybe I won’t.” And so, Voldemort pocketed it back.

Resuming their walk, Harry gasped when he saw a bed of blooming blue irises. “They’re so pretty!” He looked back toward Voldemort who took his time to reach his lover, “Aren’t they pretty?”

“They certainly have their own charms with their color and appearance,” agreed Voldemort.

“Do you think we’re allowed to cut some of them?” Harry’s finger softly played with one of its leaves.

“Do you wish to have them?”

“… Yes…”

Voldemort then offered Harry a small cutting knife, “Then you shall have them, Harry.”

With a veteran move that was trained for years to take care of his aunt’s garden, Harry cut five stalks of the Irises. He then rose up and stood face-to-face with Voldemort, so close that his green eyes reflected Voldemort’s own ruby eyes.

Blushing, Harry brought the flowers in front of his face and pushed it to the man in front of him, “For you! Thank you for accompanying me here.”

When Voldemort didn’t move a muscle, it panicked Harry further, “This, it’s stupid, I know! Moreover, because these flowers are not even _mine_ or anything, maybe I’ll just take it with me!”

Before Harry could dart away, Voldemort held his wrist and by turn held his body in place. “I will be the most grateful of your gift, Harry…” His voice was so low that Harry barely heard it.

“This is just a token of appreciation! Don’t make it looks like I’m awarding you a gold medal!”

The smile in Voldemort’s face was thin, but it was there. He then crouched down in front of a bed of small blue flowers and gathered some of them before facing Harry once more. “Then this is _my_ token of appreciation of your companionship, Harry.”

Harry grasped on the small flowers’ stalks as he traded with Voldemort, observing every petal, “This is…”

Voldemort reached to brush his knuckle on Harry’s face softly. He could barely hear his own voice, “Forget me not, Harry…”

“Tom…” Harry couldn’t seem to get rid on the blush on his cheeks, “What do you mean? I will never forget you. Why would I ever… oh!” His eyes widened with realization, “Tom? Why are we in the garden?”

Voldemort took back his hand, “Harry, do you…”

“Remember? Yes, a bit here and there, but I do recognize you, Love,” Harry chuckled before he was being tackled to a hug, “Oof! Down, you big oaf!” But he made no movement to separate himself.

Voldemort buried his face in his lover’s hair and for minutes they’re content with what they have. If silence is golden, then theirs was the shiniest gold. Taking a deep breath, Voldemort held on to his soul, his heart, his _everything_. Meanwhile, Harry slowly moved his free hand up and down his beloved’s back, humming to a tune he suddenly remembered.

“Celestina Warbeck, Harry? Seriously?” Incredulity seeped through Voldemort's tone, but Harry only laughed, the imp.

“She’s an acquired taste, as you’d say.”

Voldemort ran his fingers through Harry’s untamable locks of hair. Be as untamed as it was, Voldemort found that the hair was quite soft. He hummed nonchalantly, “I think I have found a breakthrough.”

“On…?”

“The solution, cure, whatever it is we need.”

“Love,” Harry brought his palm to Voldemort’s cheek, meeting a pair of killing curse green with the man’s ruby eyes, “I have no doubt you will be able to find it. If there’s anyone in this country, probably even in the whole world but don’t you get more swellheaded for that, who can come up with a solution to magical neurocognitive disorder, it will be you.

“But I also want to enjoy every breath that I take while remembering you. Every second that I have with you and not forgetting what we are and what we have is precious to me. You are quite literally living inside me, and I want to cherish every moment reminding myself that you’re always here with me.”

Their foreheads touched; their hands entwined; their lips met in a series of sweet longing kisses. As they shared breaths, the couple grew more reluctant to move from where they were standing.

“I’m here, always. Never doubt, my Love.”

“I know…”

* * *

_“Harry, do you know you have a little cloud of Cuppamopish behind your ears?”_

_“Huh, what’s that, Luna?”_

_“Cuppamopish, they will slowly eat your memories and get stronger each time.”_

_“Well, that’s concerning. Now that you mention it, I think I have missed something a bit crucial…”_

_“Harry, why are you not getting ready for tonight’s dinner yet?”_

_“Tom? Why are you here? Wait, that was today? Damn, it must’ve slipped my head!”_

_“I told you, Harry, it must be the work of the Cuppamopish cloud!”_

_“Whatever is that?”_

_“Cuppamopish, my Lord, though you would probably know about its muggle counterpart.”_

_“Cuppa… Harry, did your family have a history of having dementia?”_

* * *

Their lunch was more filling than what they had for breakfast, but nothing too grand. Like every other lunch they shared before, Harry always asked for a second serving of his favorite dessert, savoring every bite.

“Probably one of a few good things about this is that I’d never grew tired of treacle tart, huh.”

Voldemort sighed, “Please none of that, Harry, and I’ve heard that jokes for many times now…”

“Never grow old too,” Harry snickered while his lover resigned to his fate today.

“Harry, oh, I see that you’ve finished your meal,” Rose entered the dining room and stopped before them, bowing to Voldemort, “My Lord.”

Harry smiled to her, “Hi, Rosie.”

Rose was quick to stand straight and covered her mouth, suddenly feeling like she’s 5 again and not 75, “Uncle Harry…?”

“Thank you for always helping me, oof –you guys should really warn me before attacking! Seriously!” Harry said jokingly as he accepted the hug, “It feels like it’s been so long, huh… Did I miss anything important while I’m gone?”

Rose shook her head, “Mum and dad visited last week, they brought little Jammie too.”

“Well now I wish I was there,” Harry complained half-heartedly, “Have you eaten, Rosie? Would you care to join us?”

“Oh, I couldn’t possible intrude...” Rose threw her glance at her employer.

“Nonsense, Rose, you’re a family too,” said Voldemort as he conjured an additional chair with his wand and the attentive house-elf quickly placed extra tableware for Rose to use. It was never easy to explain magic to Harry when he barely even remembered who he was, but sometimes in a good day they could use magic here and there although it was getting hard for Harry to even cast a simple lumos. Voldemort reckoned it was another side effect of decreasing brain function in wizards’ gerontology.

The talk was kept simple and limited to things Harry mentioned only, so that it would not cause any discomfort from hearing any bad news when Harry was not aware. The wedding of the eldest son of Teddy and Victoria Lupin, in which Harry attended albeit only for an hour, was the highlight of the conversation.

“Scorpius Malfoy was once again blushing when you asked him to call him ‘just Harry’,” Voldemort stated.

Harry laughed, “Well, he might as well get over it and imagine me as ‘just Harry’ so that he won’t strain his brain next time we meet.”

Rose reached for his hands, “But you’re never ‘just Harry’, Uncle. Even I still remembered the first time you teach me how to cast my patronus.”

Smiling, Harry caressed the back of her hand, “It was a lioness, am I right?”

“It is…”

Harry coughed a little, “This is getting a bit too depressing to my liking. How about we retreat to the study?”

Voldemort was beside him in the next moment and even though Harry joked he’s ‘not invalid, Love,’ he still walked with him arm in arm, Rose trailing behind them just a little.

* * *

_“I used to be afraid of the world moving on without me, you know that, right?”_

_“Hm…”_

_“But now it looks like I won’t even be aware enough of it as I’d forget about them first soon…”_

_“I will never let you forget them or them you.”_

_“I know.”_

_“I will bring your memories back each time, and then I will find the eternal cure for you, for us.”_

_“I know…”_

_“Do you, now?”_

_“Yes, but even without all of that, I know that I love you and that’s all I need.”_

* * *

“What if I wake up and confused why am I in bed with a stranger? Not that you’re a stranger but I wouldn’t _know_ that, and I will throw a fit and wake the whole manor and – “

“Harry,” a kiss on his knuckle and the Dark Consort blushed, “I can always deal with that later but now, now I want us in this same bed that once we shared every night.”

His shoulder slumped as Harry took of his outer clothes, he never liked wearing stuffy wizarding robes moreover when he didn’t even know he’s a wizard too. Tonight, he and Voldemort would sleep together after weeks of them sleeping separately. Per agreement beforehand, they’d use Harry’s quarter as to not confused him further when he lost grasp of his memories. Originally, it was their room but as they prepared for worse to come, Voldemort dubbed it Harry’s and he himself sleep in the next empty bedroom.

When they finished getting ready to sleep, Harry laid down beside his beloved; their shoulder touched. “Tom…”

Said man was busy touching every inches of Harry’s exposed skins, starting from his temple, eyelid, nose, cheek, down to his lips, neck, and moving behind the neck to close the distance between them. Voldemort’s eyes shining with something that was never visible to anyone besides Harry, they were filled with longing, want, need, affection and when their lips met in a heated kiss, Harry felt them too. It felt like drowning in an ocean without inhaling any water, it felt fulfilling, making him whole, sealing a hole he never knew existed. It was _everything_.

“We’ll be okay,” Harry said with gasps of breath. Their touching skins _burned_ but he couldn’t bring himself to care in the slightest. It felt perfect, like it was meant to be, “You’re doing your best, and I know there is no certainty in the future, but I want you to know that my feeling will never change even when I forget. I know I will always fall in love with you.”

Voldemort brought their entwined hands to his lips and then kissed his lover’s forehead, “And I, you, my Dearest.”

As they closed their eyes to leave the waking world, they noticed the warmth of their magical connection and their nights before was never as peaceful.

On the bedside table near them, a vase of fresh blue irises and forget-me-nots stood, wishing that they never to wilt in this loving room.

* * *

END

* * *

Here's a [promo tweet](https://twitter.com/psychodaelic/status/1338026333746524160?s=20) for this fic!

**Author's Note:**

> I think I only had 3 hours of sleep. BUT! It was done! Anyway, the idea is that besides from inheriting neurocognitive disorder both from his mother’s side of the family and his father’s side of the family, Harry’s own body was showing dysfunctionality regarding his position as a horcrux. Even when he didn’t age after 25, his magic could only sustain so much before failing his neurocognitive process. The only option Tom had was to anchor another magical source to Harry without killing anyone (or else Harry would be very cross with him), and even then, he still had to provide every set of memories Harry had lost because the nature of NCD is that it was not a developing illness, it was a decreasing bodily function. 
> 
> Voldie was probably very OOC in this, huh? But 75 years is a long time, long enough to thaw any Antarctic heart he might had. Also, in every sense, Harry was still his and Lord Voldemort never casted away what he had sworn to protect!
> 
> Also in case you're wondering and have limited time to google flower meanings!  
> -Blue Iris: Faith and Hope  
> -Forget-me-not: True love, Memories  
> -Yellow Zinnia: Daily remembrance  
> -Rosemary: Love and Remembrance (The tea is said to be good for memory retaining)  
> -Ginkgo tea: not a flower but the tea from ginkgo is also good for memory! The one Voldemort used was of a magical variance
> 
> If you want to scream with me about the possibility of Harry’s getting better, please reach me out on twitter @psychodaelic and don’t worry! I won’t bite! I had also tweeted a promo tweet and I’ll be very happy if you guys want to share it with every TMRHPLV readers out there!


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